The Serengeti

The Serengeti means "endless plains" in Maasai language and is 335 km or approximately 5 hours driving from Arusha.
It covers 14,763 sq km of endless rolling plains, which reach up to the Kenyan border and extends almost to Lake Victoria.
The park is teaming with stunning wildlife - it is thought that over 3 million large mammals roam the plains. Also famous are the so called "kopjes", old formations of rocks.
Of course several lakes, rivers and hippo pools make this and excellent place to meet and enjoy wildlife.

Every year more than one million wildebeests and zebra's are on the run for their annual migration in search of water and forage as the seasons change.
Common species found in the park includes hippos, giraffes, elands, impalas, waterbucks, klipspringers, baboons and a variety of monkeys, warthogs, and topies.
Besides these you will find the world famous Serengeti lions, cheetahs, leopards, crocodiles, buffalos and ostriches.

Lake Manyara

Lake Manyara park is located 130 km, 2.30 hours from Arusha, nestling at the base of the Great Rift valley escarpment and is noted for its incredible beauty and for its famous tree climbing lions.
Its underground water forest is the home to troops of baboons, blue monkeys and many other game like buffalo elephants, giraffes, impalas, hippos, zebras, wildebeests and over 350 bird species.
Lake Manyara can also be visited in a one day trip from Arusha town.

Ngoroncoro (Crater) conservation Area

This area is located between the Serengeti and Lake Manyara National Parks.
It is the home to the famous volcanic Ngorongoro Crater which is the largest unbroken caldera in the world.
The crater (610 meters deep and 260 km square) is a microcosm of East African scenery and game.
The crater is often called "one of the forgotten world wonders" or garden of Eden" and it stretches almost 18 kilometres from rim to rim.
Scenic grandeur and stunning views are the hallmark of this wonder of the world.
All the lodges and campings are built high on the crater rim and afford amazing views over and into the crater - the perfect setting for a well deserved sundowner or sunrise.

Tarangire National Park

Tarangire is located 120 km, approx.
2 hours drive from Arusha and is the most famous park during the dry season.
(June to December) In this period thousands of animals migrate from the dry Maasai steppe to the Tarangire River looking for water while lion and other predators follow the heards.
Among the species to be seen at Tarangire are the buffalos, elephants, lions, leopards, warthogs, elands, the fringe-eared Oryxes, lesser and greater kudus, gerenuk and large number of impalas.
The National Park is also famous for its tree-climbing pythons and abundance of bird life.
The Park can also be visited in a day.

Arusha National Park

Pretty close to our headquarters in Arusha this National parc is sometimes easy forgotten, but it's a wonderful parc to start.
Described as "a little gem", Arusha National Park (137 sq. km, 32 km from Arusha) consists of three spectacular features - the Momella Lakes, Meru Crater, and the Ngurdoto Crater.
Altitudes range from 1525m above mean sea level to nearly 4575 m at the summit of mount Meru.
On clear days magnificent views of mount Kilimanjao and mount Meru can be seen from almost any part of the park.
The park is famous for profuse birds life both migrants and residents.
The handsome black and white colobus monkey inhabits the lush green forest of ancient cedar and podocarpus trees.
Other animals commonly seen in the park are baboons, elephants, giraffes, buffalos, hippos, hyenas, klipspringers, warthogs, bush pigs, reedbucks, water-bucks, bushbucks, blue and red bush duikers.
The park can also be visited in a day time.
The Arusha National Park is the only park where walking safaris can be done unaccompanied by a game ranger.

See for far more details about these parcs the link: www.tanpa.tz